Senior maid Belle Mayar is renowned among the maids of Ophelius Hall, a place known only to harbor elite housekeepers, for her impeccable and definitive approach to handling matters. Hence, the honorific 'senior' precedes her name, signifying her role in training newcomers and reproaching them when necessary. Currently, there's a buzzing rumor that Ellis, the head maid and general manager of Ophelius Hall, is considering retirement. Naturally, all eyes are now fixated on who her successor might be, with Belle Mayar being a prominent contender—an obvious outcome.
"Lady Yenika."
Despite receiving an elevated status among the maids of Ophelius Hall, Belle never discriminates between tasks. From the dirtiest and most menial to the duties typically designated to lower maids, she confidently takes on the front line of work. Even in student grooming, usually spared by senior maids, Belle casually rolls up her sleeves as if it's nothing out of the ordinary.
Combing through Yenika's hair in front of the mirror, Belle casually broached a new topic.
"When I passed through the forest the other day, I visited Master Ed's camp and saw quite an astonishing sight."
"Hmm? Ah… you mean that cabin?"
"… How did you know?"
At that comment, Yenika shivered and stammered, twisting the ends of her hair and shaking her head.
"Jus… just saw it passing by…"
"Is that so. Anyway… It's said to be self-made, but surprisingly well-crafted and shapely, quite impressive really. I wouldn't have expected such talent in that regard."
"Is that so."
"I held myself back, thinking it might be unbecoming of me, but I was tempted to go inside. To look around, to see if it's sturdy."
"You had those thoughts too, Belle?"
"Of course, I'm only human after all. It's only 'natural.'"
Belle is the paragon of a maid. Truly dedicated to service, a maid does not simply satisfy herself with being proficient at cleaning and errands. It's a sign of a true servant to assist their employers with sincerity, within respectful bounds.
"Wouldn't anyone passing by such a cabin be curious who built it, how it was built, or what it looks like inside? This curiosity is all too natural and commonplace."
The way Belle stressed the words 'natural' and 'ordinary' hinted at an underlying motive—she was nudging Yenika to approach Ed and engage in a conversation about the cabin.
Naturally, such suspicious or probing thoughts were not installed in Yenika, who merely nodded in agreement,
"Yeah, that's right. It's only natural. No matter who it is, curiosity would surely be sparked upon seeing it."
She accepted the notion earnestly with a serious face.
Belle sighed inwardly while braiding Yenika's hair. It was perfectly natural for a girl of her age to harbor romantic feelings, but such awkwardness hardly boded well for resolving the matter.
Since it would be overstepping for Belle to meddle any further, all she could do now was make Yenika's hair look as beautiful as possible. Today, her touches seemed a bit more pronounced as she gently brushed through Yenika's hair.
The entrance to the northern forest remained unchanged—a welcoming embrace of lush greenery inviting all equally. Despite the advancing twilight, the entrance exuded warmth rather than gloom, comforting to Yenika as if it were her own backyard.
Yenika often retreated to this northern forest for solace—leaning against the protective tree of Merilda, losing herself in a book, breezes, and the rustle of leaves reminded her of the hill near her childhood home.
Therefore, whenever waves of nostalgia washed over her, Yenika sought consolation in the forest's embrace. However, lately she had avoided frequenting the northern forest, embarrassed to admit, mainly due to the increasing likelihood of encountering a certain resident within.
Initially, her visit was born of simple curiosity—Merilda, a wind spirit of the forest, often manifested as a diminutive wolf and sought out Yenika, bringing her idle chatter.
Engrossed in conversations with Merilda under the moonlit windowsill had become a comforting end to Yenika's days.
Merilda's descriptions of Ed Rothtaylor sharply contrasted with rumors—from his desperate survival endeavors in dire straits that resembled the plight of the forest's wild creatures, to his amusing mishaps like food poisoning from gnawing on tree bark, the collapse of his makeshift shelter, and exhaustion from chopping wood.
Yet, Yenika also felt proud when hearing of Ed's achievements—from his first successful catch with a self-made fishing rod, to completing a robust drying rack, or his first successful hunt with his homemade bow.
Yenika cherished these windowsill sessions as cherished childhood memories of her parents reading fairy tales and stroking her hair—an act now too embarrassing to request.
Unwittingly, she found herself ending each day with stories about Ed—a realization that left her restless.
Feeling pathetic as she paced at the forest's entrance, Yenika knew this oddity had taken hold of her. Perhaps motivated by the Glascan incident, though she sensed inklings of it even earlier.
Such is the nature of infatuation, often likened to drizzle—unexpectedly finding oneself soaked through.
Merilda's detailed descriptions, from the shirtless Ed's muscles to the budding shapes of his biceps and abs, bewilderingly stirred Yenika's innocence—becoming breathless at just the sight of his collarbone or the veins on his hands, leading to embarrassing exits and nosebleeds.
Such was her state that even her close friend Anis became concerned, while Claire responded uncharacteristically fretful—as much as Claire's name doesn't quite fit her reaction.
"What am I even doing…"
Yenika lamented her plight, contemplating nonsensical daydreams of working alongside Ed at the family ranch or collaborating in research post-graduation, imagining scenarios far from reality and kicking her blanket in frustration.
Knowing full well her tendency towards self-loathing fantasies, she berated herself, musing about when she'd put an end to it, assuming Ed likely found her behavior strange.
Despite improvements in Ed's standing, his reputation wasn't entirely cleared. Aware of this, Ed didn't find Yenika's avoidance peculiar, but for her, it was a separate issue, one that breached basic human decorum.
Resolving to change this, Yenika nodded to herself and headed towards Ed's camp.
* [ Name: Ed Rothtaylor ]
Sex: Male Age: 17 Grade: 2 Race: Human Achievements: None Strength: 8 Intelligence: 7 Dexterity: 10 Wit: 9 Luck: 6 Detailed combat ability ]] Detailed magic ability ]] Detailed life skills ]] Detailed alchemy ability ]]
At long last, his Dexterity stat hit 10.
This marks the point where one can be considered truly specialized in manual skills.
The moment Dexterity reaches 10, production skill proficiency increases, enabling the acquisition of advanced crafting skills upon meeting necessary conditions; such as 'Spirit-infused Crafting', enabling the incorporation of elemental spirits in crafted items, 'Magic-engineering' granting the ability to create various magical apparatuses, 'Magic Imbuement' allowing for the addition of various effects to mundane items, 'Artisan's Soul' enhancing combat efficiency with crafted weapons, and 'Apothecary's Eye', adept at mixing various potions and herbs.
.
.
And many more specialized skills utilizing a combination of combat, magic, and alchemy abilities available under the right conditions.
As it stands, the only realistic high-level crafting skill he can acquire is 'Spirit-infused Crafting', but continued diligence might allow for the utilization of a multitude of advanced skills.
With newfound momentum and a cabin as his achievement, the drive for further endeavors grows, bringing about an encouraging cycle of motivation and progress.
Considering it a positive loop, he contemplated filling the cabin with essentials and necessities.
First and foremost was the door. Jury-rigging was needed even after buying hinges for the wooden planks that hardly held firm, still letting drafts through due to improper sizing. He pondered on how to rectify this as he stood before the cabin…
As I was sawing wood in various ways at the clearing, someone called out with a slightly off-tune voice.
"Ah-han! Nyung! Ed!"
Turning my head towards the source, I saw it was Yenika. It seemed quite the event for her to come all the way to the camp.
Unlike the neat uniform she wore during the school term, since it was the vacation, she had on a comfortable light blue skirt and oversized white blouse.
With a hat and a shawl that appeared to be warm for the weather, it looked like she was wearing them to protect her skin from the sun – a wise decision. At a glance, Yenika's pale complexion seemed particularly vulnerable to sunlight. Although the sun wasn't as fierce during the sunset, it still wasn't a thing to take lightly.
In contrast, I was rolling up my sleeves and pant legs, busy swinging a saw at my workbench, creating quite the scene of practical diligence, which felt out of place compared to Yenika.
"Hey there, hello. What brings you here, Yenika?"
I greeted her as naturally as I could. Given that Yenika had been avoiding me lately, her presence was a tad perplexing. Her voluntary approach to the camp made me wonder if she had a specific reason.
"It's nothing big…!"
Yenika started off, then, with an eerily rushed tone, began to explain.
"Just passing by! I was on my way to see Merilda! Saw the hut and thought! I'd take a look!"
She rattled off as if it was urgent.
"If there's a hut like this, you wonder who built it, how it was built, and what it looks like inside, right? It's natural, isn't it? Huh?"
"That's…true?"
"Right, I just had that natural and obvious curiosity, so I naturally and obviously came to take a look. This hut is really nice, Ed."
I tossed my saw onto the workbench and dusted off my hands.
"Yeah, I built it recently. Didn't the spirits tell you?"
Stung by my words, Yenika hiccuped and shook her head.
"They mentioned it, but only in passing? Kinda like an 'Oh! There's such a thing too,' feeling, you know? Just a hint, barely… I don't really talk to the spirits that much. Just sometimes..? To exchange news…? So I really don't know much about how Ed's living. Really. Yeah."
"Is that so. Well, you can go inside. It's pretty sturdy. I'm quite proud of it."
I nodded, pointing towards the hut. Hesitantly, Yenika entered the structure, touching and looking around curiously.
It was just a log hut, but I felt unreasonably proud knowing I built it myself.
Darkness fell, and the chirring of crickets was still comforting. Slowly, the moon and stars began to show their faces, sprinkled across the sky.
I had prepared tea with herbs given by Belle in a wooden mug I bought from the living quarters. Yenika held her mug of herbal tea, staring mindlessly at the crackling flames.
Though it's called a hut, the fireplace wasn't finished yet, so we couldn't light a fire inside. If I burned down the hut in the process, it would be too agonizing to even sleep.
So, until the interior work is completed, we are still living as if camping outside. Nevertheless, there's a sense of romance in this situation when I think about my nearly finished house.
"Ed, you're impressive. Most people would have given up in this situation."
"It's really not a big deal to praise."
"No, it really is something."
Any hint of awkwardness had vanished. The peaceful ambiance of the night forest was soothing, and with a cup of herbal tea in hand, nothing could be better.
"If I were in Ed's place, I don't think I could do anything."
"You'll have to leave the Ophelius dorm soon too, won't you?"
"Yeah. I'll probably stay in the Dex dorm."
The three main dorms of Sylvania: Ophelius, Lortelle, Dex.
Dex was the most outdated facility, mostly inhabited by regular students. Given the options from quadruple to ten-person rooms, transitioning from being served in Ophelius to living in Dex could be quite a challenge.
Well, Yenika wasn't from a wealthy family, so it might not be as difficult for her as for others.
"Can your family afford the tuition?"
She shook her head.
"Febri said she'd lend it to me. Told me to pay it back slowly after graduation."
That was the name of the second daughter of the Prime Minister of the Clorel Empire.
With Yenika's prospects post-graduation, it wasn't a risky investment. Ultimately, this is to have a debt to call upon.
Nevertheless, her insistence on moving to the Dex dorm must be due to Yenika's stubbornness. Even though Lortelle's facilities were better, it wouldn't do to rely on friends' aid after the incident and live in luxurious dorms without feeling indebted.
"I've accumulated a huge debt. I never knew everyone would work so hard for me during the disciplinary committee, nor did I imagine anyone would help with tuition, with people like Princess Phoenia and Lortelle going so far to assist. After such a mistake, they consoled me after the committee? Everyone… I'm so grateful. Really, there aren't words."
Few understand that the mishap with Yenika was due to being overwhelmed by that heavy earnestness. The fundamental problem remains unsolved.
The vicious cycle hasn't ended yet.
"How… How do I pay it all back?"
"If you can't pay it back, just ditch it."
Yenika had received so much support, yet she ultimately failed.
The shock hadn't faded yet, and now a new debt was piling up.
"Maybe this notion of having to repay a debt is also a fixed idea? Just because you borrowed, do you have to return it?"
"W-wow, I've never thought of it that way."
There are so many ways to default on debts in the world, and so many live by it.
But for Yenika, such a concept was an unimaginable mystery. That's simply who she is.
"You're going to have a tough time. You'll be moving dorms soon."
"If I go to Dex… I think it'll be more fun, despite the facilities. I can spend all day with good friends. From the morning until bedtime in the same room, we can joke, hold pillows before sleep, and have late-night snacks and conversations. Yes."
Ophelius is a single per room dorm, a place of reprieve where one can quietly relax after a hard day, sheltered from peers' and underclassmen's envy.
There, as she sits quietly on the bed looking at the moon, she can feel a slight unburdening.
Hence the idea of moving to Dex—which means constant communal living—is terrifying to Yenika, akin to a prison wrapped in chains all day long.
Pulling her gaze from the flickering fire, Yenika looked up at the sky.
The night air of Acken Island was crisp, with the sky clear. The eerie cold of early night had transformed into a cozy warmth.
Seeing her vulnerable appearance made me uncomfortable to leave her be.
"If you ever want to be alone, feel free to come and stay anytime. I won't mind."
I lightly tossed those words to her. With this girl, too much concern and sincerity could backfire.
"Really? That's great. Hehe."
Only then did Yenika suppress her nervous habit and show a wide, foolish grin I hadn't seen in a while.
"Hey, Ed. If you ever find things tough or struggle with something too difficult alone, I hope you'd tell me."
Looking at the clear sky, Yenika spoke softly.
"I'll be sure to help then."
*
"Recently, there's been unease in Ophelius."
The mug that held the herbal tea was empty. Yenika got up to leave, wrapping her shawl and straightening her clothes.
"There's a rumor that the head maid is quitting soon. They say Head Maid Ellis has been under a lot of stress."
Brushing off her clothes, Yenika continued.
"Isn't it strange? Although I haven't seen Ellis often, she seemed diligent and positive. Well, I'll be leaving Ophelius soon, it doesn't really affect me, but… I can't help worrying."
With those words, she smiled innocently again.
"Thanks for showing me the hut, Ed. I'll visit more often. Is it…um… too much if I come every day?"
"Do whatever you want."
"Hehe. I'm so glad I came to see you today. See you tomorrow… I mean, see you next time."
As I bid farewell to Yenika, I caught the offhand information she had dropped. Looks like the second semester is approaching.
The 'Ophelius Dorm Seize', a herald for Act Two, was upon us.
Initially, it should have been just an incident where disgruntled underachievers aired their grievances—something that would have blown over. They didn't have enough influence due to being underachievers.
However, the involvement of a maid bribed by Lortelle escalated things… it turned into a main event of Act Two.
Soon ballooning into a commercial war between the Elte merchant association and the academy over 'The Sage's Seal', it earns its title as the catalyst for the crises to come.
"You're going to have a tough time, Taely."
Waving at Yenika as she vanished into the night forest, I silently wished Taely strength.
Taely… you're really going to struggle…
Stay strong…